June is Men’s Health Month which raises awareness on medical concerns for men and provides a platform for challenging and debating key issues in men’s health. It also aims to raise the profile the health outcomes and health needs of our male population.
This awareness months aims to encourage men to make their health a priority and the home doctor experts at House Call Doctor say regular health checks are a part of maintaining good health.
Health checks at home
It is important to make health checks a part of your regular routine at home. Here are some checks that you can do at home:
- Skin checks – check your skin regularly for unusual moles or freckles and keep an eye on them to see if they change in colour, size or shape
- Dental care – clean your teeth twice daily and eat a low-sugar diet to reduce your risk of tooth decay, gum disease and tooth loss
- Testicular self-examination – from puberty onwards, it’s important to check your testicles regularly for any unusual lumps.
Health check according to age
There are periodic health checks that should be routine at the doctors including height and weight checks, vision, hearing and dental exams, blood tests and required immunisations. There are also recommended health checks for men at different age groups. Here is what is recommended.
Health checks in your 20s
- Annual physical exam to check blood pressure, height and weight
- Vision and dental exams once a year
- STD testing and HIV screening every two years
- Testicular cancer screening every year
- Cholesterol testing every five years.
Health checks in your 30s
- Blood tests for diabetes, thyroid disease, liver problems, and anaemia
- Screening for coronary heart disease once a year.
Health checks in your 40s
- Cardiovascular evaluation every five years
- Screening for prostate cancer every year.
Health checks in your 50s
- Annual screening for Type Two diabetes
- Vision and hearing exams annually
- Screening for depression
- Screening for lipid disorders annually
- Screening for colon cancer with faecal occult test, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy annually.
Health checks in your 60s
- Annual screening for osteoporosis
- Continue colorectal screening based upon previous results
- Screening for dementia and Alzheimer’s annually.